Proof Sun Belt is rising among G5

[AtlAppMan]

We all knew it was happening but this is empirical/analytic proof to support our claim. This puts Sun Belt #3 among G5. We are substantially better than C-USA. Looks like our move to Sun Belt was a wiser move than some thought. Interesting that the article also throws a jab at C-USA for dissing App State.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... -using-sp+

[boonegoons89]

C-USA stole some programs from the Sun Belt back during conference realignment, but it was pretty easily inferior on the field last year. For one thing, it stole the wrong programs (maybe should have gone after App. State!); for another, the bottom of this league was absolutely horrible.

C-USA problems right there. Thankful to be in the Sun Belt.

[Nugget49]

C-USA took WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU before App was in the Sun Belt. I guess if you want to endorse this article as valid, you also have to take this too.

SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

Interesting that the author also believes team regress towards the mean. We had a lively discussion about that here recently.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16118&p=208595&hilit=mean#p208595

See you in a couple of weeks!

[Gonzo]

C-USA took WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU before App was in the Sun Belt. I guess if you want to endorse this article as valid, you also have to take this too.

SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

Interesting that the author also believes team regress towards the mean. We had a lively discussion about that here recently.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16118&p=208595&hilit=mean#p208595

See you in a couple of weeks!

It will be interesting to see if Gardner Webb beats UNCC. Healy only won four games playing a weaker FCS conference schedule than GW plays in the Big South. UNCC's talent is FCS-level, and with a transition like this one it's going to be a tough task even to beat the easiest team on their schedule.

Will you still show your faces on the Mountain if you lose to the Runnin' Bulldogs?

[Rick83]

I believe the way it went down was that when we were planning our move up to FBS C-USA chose Charlotte over us and the lowly Sun Belt was the only conference that extended us an invitation and fortunately, one to Georgia Southern as well. I've always felt like the Sun Belt was a good move because it allowed us to keep winning and building the program. I also believe we would have had similar success in the C-USA.
If we had gone directly to say, the AAC, then we would've struggled more to win and interest would've started to drop off and we wouldn't have the massive momentum we have now as a program. If we're fortunate enough to be extended an invitation by the AAC at this point, then it'd be from a position of strength instead of as a position of transitioning to FBS.

[AtlAppMan]

I believe the way it went down was that when we were planning our move up to FBS C-USA chose Charlotte over us and the lowly Sun Belt was the only conference that extended us an invitation and fortunately, one to Georgia Southern as well. I've always felt like the Sun Belt was a good move because it allowed us to keep winning and building the program. I also believe we would have had similar success in the C-USA.
If we had gone directly to say, the AAC, then we would've struggled more to win and interest would've started to drop off and we wouldn't have the massive momentum we have now as a program. If we're fortunate enough to be extended an invitation by the AAC at this point, then it'd be from a position of strength instead of as a position of transitioning to FBS.

All of that is true and let me also add some additional context. The landscape has changed dramatically during that period pre/post App move up. In the immediate years prior to our move up I was hugely in favor of us going to CUSA, BUT that was also when many of the current AAC teams were there (ECU, UCF, Houston, Memphis, Tulane, SMU, Tulsa). Once they left the CUSA I wanted us to join no longer existed. The new CUSA post-2014 was another animal that turned out to be, IMO, a much less desirable conference. Things did happen that influenced our options but in the positive. Don't get me wrong, we had to take what we could get but it turned out to be the best for us, considering all of the points mentioned.

[BallantyneApp]

C-USA took WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU before App was in the Sun Belt. I guess if you want to endorse this article as valid, you also have to take this too.

SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

Interesting that the author also believes team regress towards the mean. We had a lively discussion about that here recently.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16118&p=208595&hilit=mean#p208595

See you in a couple of weeks!

Yes, you showed your inability to understand basic math concepts in that thread.

[Saint3333]

C-USA took WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU before App was in the Sun Belt. I guess if you want to endorse this article as valid, you also have to take this too.

SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

Interesting that the author also believes team regress towards the mean. We had a lively discussion about that here recently.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16118&p=208595&hilit=mean#p208595

See you in a couple of weeks!

What is Alabama’s vs. Kentucky’s mean?

[Yosef84]

I believe the way it went down was that when we were planning our move up to FBS C-USA chose Charlotte over us and the lowly Sun Belt was the only conference that extended us an invitation and fortunately, one to Georgia Southern as well. I've always felt like the Sun Belt was a good move because it allowed us to keep winning and building the program. I also believe we would have had similar success in the C-USA.
If we had gone directly to say, the AAC, then we would've struggled more to win and interest would've started to drop off and we wouldn't have the massive momentum we have now as a program. If we're fortunate enough to be extended an invitation by the AAC at this point, then it'd be from a position of strength instead of as a position of transitioning to FBS.

All of that is true and let me also add some additional context. The landscape has changed dramatically during that period pre/post App move up. In the immediate years prior to our move up I was hugely in favor of us going to CUSA, BUT that was also when many of the current AAC teams were there (ECU, UCF, Houston, Memphis, Tulane, SMU, Tulsa). Once they left the CUSA I wanted us to join no longer existed. The new CUSA post-2014 was another animal that turned out to be, IMO, a much less desirable conference. Things did happen that influenced our options but in the positive. Don't get me wrong, we had to take what we could get but it turned out to be the best for us, considering all of the points mentioned.

It's very true that CUSA changed dramatically (not in a positive way) from the same flurry of re-org changes that allowed us to move up. Also, during the years that probably would have been our optimal timing to make the jump, there was a moratorium on moves so we had to tread water in FCS.

I don't really begrudge Charlotte getting invited (although I think it was premature) because they were a founding member of CUSA and had been forced out previously because they didn't have football. If they hadn't been a founding member, I doubt that their "market position" would have earned them an invitation at the time they got one.

As it worked out, the SunBelt has been an excellent home for App and I honestly wouldn't trade it for CUSA.

[BeauFoster]

How bad is CUSA? So bad that they have more teams projected outside of the top 100 (8) than inside (6). That further demonstrates how UNCC was able to nearly get bowl eligible last season, despite being absolute trash on the field.

[Stonewall]

CUSA screwed up [and they know it ,I am told] .I couldn't care less. I like where we are at present ...enjoy the ride!

[hapapp]

One never knows what the future may hold. In five years, CUSA taking Charlotte may turn out to be a good decision. I think a lot of our fans were butt-hurt when we were passed over by CUSA. In the end, it worked out fine for us and it certainly hasn't retarded our success on the field. I certainly don't begrudge Charlotte for taking the opportunity made available to them. It may take them some time to get up to speed but there is no reason to believe they can't find success where they are. I don't subscribe to the idea that by putting someone down it somehow elevates us.

[EastHallApp]

The whole "rise together" mantra the Sun Belt had when we joined actually seems to be playing out pretty well. As the bottom rung of the FBS ladder at that time, the SBC had nowhere to go when it got raided by other leagues but FCS move-ups (plus misfits Idaho and NM State). At the time we joined, IIRC literally half the league had just moved up to FBS within the past couple years or so (with Coastal still to come).

Now that those programs have all managed to get established as FBS members (with full rosters of FBS recruits), the overall quality of the league has naturally improved. Of course it helps that App and GS have been two of the top programs in the conference pretty much from day one.

[Mjohn1988]

Another article that puts App on top in N.C.. We’re on our way to becoming the football brand for our state.
App 29
State 47
Wake 58
Duke 59
UNC 66
ECU 112
UNCC 118

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

C-USA took WKU, MTSU, NT and FAU before App was in the Sun Belt. I guess if you want to endorse this article as valid, you also have to take this too.

SP+ is not (yet) programmed to take coaching changes into account, so the view of Appalachian State is as if Scott Satterfield were still in charge there. You tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach, so it's probably going to be pretty hard for the Mountaineers to maintain top-30 status.

Interesting that the author also believes team regress towards the mean. We had a lively discussion about that here recently.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16118&p=208595&hilit=mean#p208595

See you in a couple of weeks!

The actual statement was "tend to regress toward the mean a bit with a new coach"

No where did he state that all teams regress toward the mean without any other factors involved.

[fjblair]

Another article that puts App on top in N.C.. We’re on our way to becoming the football brand for our state.
App 29
State 47
Wake 58
Duke 59
UNC 66
ECU 112
UNCC 118

Where is this article?

[Rick83]

Another article that puts App on top in N.C.. We’re on our way to becoming the football brand for our state.
App 29
State 47
Wake 58
Duke 59
UNC 66
ECU 112
UNCC 118

Where is this article?

The link is in the original post and they pulled out the NC teams with their S&P power ranking, which is not to be confused with the AP or Coach's polls.

[bigdaddyg]

Another article that puts App on top in N.C.. We’re on our way to becoming the football brand for our state.
App 29
State 47
Wake 58
Duke 59
UNC 66
ECU 112
UNCC 118

Where is this article?

ESPN

[Mjohn1988]

Another article that puts App on top in N.C.. We’re on our way to becoming the football brand for our state.
App 29
State 47
Wake 58
Duke 59
UNC 66
ECU 112
UNCC 118

Where is this article?

Sorry for the confusion, the ESPN article that stared the thread. And yes we’re in the article, mentioned with the sunbelt and CUSA teams.

[The Rock]

One never knows what the future may hold. In five years, CUSA taking Charlotte may turn out to be a good decision. I think a lot of our fans were butt-hurt when we were passed over by CUSA. In the end, it worked out fine for us and it certainly hasn't retarded our success on the field. I certainly don't begrudge Charlotte for taking the opportunity made available to them. It may take them some time to get up to speed but there is no reason to believe they can't find success where they are. I don't subscribe to the idea that by putting someone down it somehow elevates us.

While I don’t begrudge UNCC for accepting the CUSA bid, what gives a lot of us a bad taste for the 49’rs is the way they acted after their invitation.
Gloating, beating their chest and bragging about how they were in the big leagues now and would surpass our program immediately, and App was relegated to FCS oblivion because we didn’t have their market. And yes, at the time , CUSA was a much better conference than the Sunbelt. Now with App being among the top of the conference every year, GA southern being in the hunt most years, the rebound of Troy; Arkansas st and ULL always being competitive, the possibility of Tx state being on track to competitiveness makes the belt a solid conference and a much better option than CUSA.